Hall County asks for help on new logo

Hall County is searching for a new look and it’s asking residents to help.

Staff members are developing a new logo for the county, and an international conference featuring Hall County scheduled for September is propelling the timetable.

The International City/County Management Association has promoted professional government worldwide since 1914, its website said. The annual conference, set for September, features short videos of more than a dozen cities and counties each year.

This year, one of those short videos will feature Hall County. Public Information Officer Katie Crumley said it’s an opportunity to show off the county to a wider audience.

“We thought it would be a great way to give Hall County a national, and really international stage, to promote all the great things going on here,” she said.

The county posted a survey asking the community for input this week and is also asking residents to participate in a focus group to help develop the logo. Crumley said she had received 28 responses as of Thursday afternoon.

“We’ve already gotten a good amount just for having it up for 24 hours,” she said.

The survey asks for suggestions on everything, including colors, font, tone and images, and encourages people to submit their own work. She’s already received an original logo and several slogans.

The logo has an “H” and “C” in black boxes with a flow of blue water and lines coming out from the boxes.

“When I was envisioning it in my mind, I wasn’t even thinking anything like that,” Crumley said. “Again, that’s why it’s so important to get community input.”

Suggested slogans from survey takers include “From the islands to the highlands, we have it all” and “It’s a beautiful day in Hall County, welcome home.”

The survey is expected to be online until July 5. The goal is to have the new logo when the conference sees the video, but county officials don’t want to rush the process because the logo is expected to endure.

“We don’t want to compromise the end product just to meet the goal,” Crumley said. “If we get to that point where the ICMA video needs to air, we’re not going to go ahead and push the logo through if we still feel like it needs some work.”

The number of focus group meetings depends on the amount of volunteers. The meetings would be held in the next two to three weeks. The county hopes the focus groups will be able to explain survey ideas in more detail.

Shooting for the video is expected to start in July or August, Crumley said. Cities and counties featured last year included Decatur; Bonita Springs, Fla.; Cedar Hill, Texas; and Lane County, Ore.